First, we will prepare the fabric for the front center squares.
Draw two 8 inch wide by 8 inch tall
squares on the light and dark
colored canvas (total of four
squares).

Using an air-erase pen, dressmaker's
pencil, or other marking tool, draw
lines connecting the corners of each
box - extend the lines a couple of
inches outside of the boxes. These
lines will be used for hooping.

Create paper templates of the
designs by printing them at full
size using embroidery software. If you don't have
embroidery software, you can cut a
piece of paper the shape and dimensions of the designs to help
with placement and centering.

Poke a hole in the center of the
template and align it with the
center point on the square. Make
sure the design fits well within the
shape - there should be about two
inches of space between the edges of
the design and the edges of the
shape.

Spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer
with temporary adhesive and smooth
the fabric on top. Hoop the fabric
and stabilizer together by aligning
the marks on the hoop with the lines
on the fabric. Attach the hoop to
the machine and load the design.
Move the hoop so that the needle is
directly over the center point on
the fabric. Embroider the design.

Repeat the hooping and embroidering
process for each square. After the
designs have finished, trim away the
excess stabilizer on the back of the
embroidery.

Cut
out the shapes.

Arrange the squares how you want
them. Then, pair the squares up by
aligning them together, right sides
facing and pin in place as
shown. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the
pinned edges only. Then, lay the
squares flat, wrong side up, and
press the back seam open with an
iron.

Align the assembled square pairs
together, right sides facing and
with the seams aligned. Pin in place
and sew a 1/2 inch seam along the
pinned edge. Then, press the back
seam open.

Now we will prepare the pattern
piece for the corner fabric
pieces. On one of the bottom corners
of a large piece of paper or tag
board, measure and mark 11 3/4
inches out along the bottom edge
starting at the corner. Also,
measure and mark 11 3/4 inches up
along the side edge starting at the
corner. Draw a line connecting the
marks. Cut out the shape.

Use the pattern piece to trace and
cut out four pieces of the print
canvas.

Lay the assembled center square
portion right side up. Align the
long straight edge of one of the
corner pieces with one of the sides
of the center square portion. Align
the point of the corner piece with
the seam of the square portion. Pin
in place and sew a 1/2 inch seam
along the pinned edge. Then, press
the back seam open.

Repeat this process for each corner
piece, working your way around each
side of the square portion.

Now we will prepare the back of the
board. Cut a piece of foam core
board 19 inches wide by 19 inches
tall. Also, cut two pieces of
extra-loft batting 19 inches wide by
19 inches tall. Spray the foam core
board with temporary adhesive and
smooth one of the batting pieces on
top. Then, spray the first layer of
batting with adhesive and smooth the
second piece of batting on top.

Lay the assembled fabric piece wrong
side up and spray it with a bit of
temporary adhesive. Align the back
piece, batting side down, on top of
the fabric piece leaving about one
inch of excess around the outer edge
of the back piece. Press in place.

Lay
a line of hot glue along one edge of
the back of the board, fold the
fabric over to the back, and press
in place. Glue one side first, then
the opposite side, and then the two
remaining sides.

Turn
the board over to the right side and
lay ribbon over the seams - trim the
ribbon leaving about two inches of
excess on each end of the ribbon
pieces (to wrap around to the back
of the board). Attach the longest
pieces of ribbon first (the pieces
that crisscross in the center) by
adding a drop of hot glue at the
very center, aligning the ribbon
with the seam centered underneath,
and pressing the ribbon in
place. Glue each ribbon in place at
each intersection. Then, bring the
ends of each ribbon to the back and
glue in place.

Now we will add the buttons! With a
small scissor, poke a hole through
the ribbon, fabric, and the board at
each intersection inside the board
(there are five intersections total)
- not along the edges of the
board.

Thread a needle with button craft
thread then tie and knot the end of
the thread around the loop of the
button.

Insert the needle through one of the
holes on the front of the
board. Then, loop the thread around
a small button on the back of the
board. Pull the thread tight so that
the button on the front is tight
against the ribbons, and then knot
the thread at the back.

To finish the back of the board, cut
a piece of tag board 18 1/2 inches
wide by 18 1/2 inches tall. Add
lines of hot glue about one inch in
from the outer edge of the back of
the board, align the tag board, and
press it in place. Then, add a loop
picture hanger on the back of the
board with a few drops of hot
glue. We added our hanger about two
inches from the top of the board.

Your bulletin board is now complete! Hang on
the wall and add photos, cards, notes or
other small paper items!